Igniter governor



April 14, 1925. 1,534,003

H. P. DONLE ET AL IGNITER GOVERNOR Filed Oct. 17, 1923 Patented Apr. '14, 1925.

UNITED STATS HAROLD POTTER DONLE AND JAMES HENRY BARTHOLO'MEW, 0E MERIDEN, CONNECT- ICUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE CQNNECTICUT TELEPHONE & ELECTRIC COMPANY, I151- CORPORATED, OF MERIDEN, WNNEC'IICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNEQTICUT.

rsnrrnn. eovnnnor.

Application filed October 17, 1923. Serial No. 669,093.

To, all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HAROLD P. Donna and JAMES H. BARTHoLoM'nW, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Meriden, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Igniter Governor, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an igniter of the semi-automatic type, that is, one in which the timing may be varied manually and automatically.

It is the principal object of 0dr invention to provide improved means for automatically advancing and retarding the spark in an igniter in accordance with the engine speed.

Other minor objects and features ofinvention will be apparent as the specification proceeds.

In the drawlngs, which show, for illustrative purposes only, a preferred form of the invention- I Fig. 1 is'a perspective view of the base plate of an igniter housing, with the governor mechanism exposed;

Fig. 2 is a side view in partial section of the governor mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the governor shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4c is a diagrammatic view of an igniter.

There is, as usual in igniters, a housing 5 for enclosing the operative parts of theigniter mechanism. In the present form of the invention the upper or side part of the housing is mounted on a base plate 6, forming the bottom of the housing. A base or suitable extension 7 thereof serves to support the igniter.

A drive shaft 8 extends into the housing and has a collar 9 for attachment to a suitable part driven by the engine. In the form shown the drive shaft 8 has a central lon gitudinal bore 10'therein, and a second or governor shaft 11 is positioned in the recess 10 and extends upwardly into the upper part of the housing. A breaker cam 12 (Fig. 4.) is secured on the governor shaft 11, and this cam, in rotating with the governor shaft 11, as will be later described, serves to actuate the movable contact or breaker 13 of the timer. A distributor arm 14: may be mounted on the upper end :of the governor'shaft for the purpose of distributing high tension current to the various connections for the spark plugs ofthe englne.

In the specific disclosure a base or drive plate 15 is n on-rotatably secured to the main drive shaft 8, and a secondary or governor plate 16 is non-rotatably secured on thegovernor shaft 11. The two plates 15 and 16 are connected to each other by means 'of toggle link mechanism constituting the proportions to accomplish the proper centrifugal governing. The links are preferably very loosely or freely pivoted to the plates and to each other so that the device operates with but .little friction. drawings we have shown duplicate centrif- In the I ugal governing members, but it is to be understood that a single toggle may form an operative structure, though, for the purpose of forming a balanced mechanism, it is best to provide two sets, as shown.

Resilient means are provided for resisting the centrifugal action of the toggle members, and in the form shown we connect spiral springs 2020 to the drive plate 15 and to extensions or fingers 2121 on the governor plate 16. These springs 20-20 are preferably so connected to the two plates that when the shafts are at rest a line drawn through the two points of connection of each spring to the two plates will pass through substantially the axis of the shaft, and when the shafts are in rotation and the toggle links or centrifugal govern ing members are extended outwardly, a line drawn through the two points of connection of the two plates asses a substantial distance to one side 0 the axis of the shaft. By thus connecting the resisting springs it will be seen that the force of the springs resisting the movement of the centrifugal governing members will be very slight at the beginning of movement, and as the movement increases the resisting force of the springs will increase, due to the direction of pull on the springs. In other words, the direction of force exerted by the springs when the parts are at rest will be substantially across the axis of rotation and not in a. direction tangential to the axis, which is the only force which can resist r0- tation of the plates relatively to each other.

If desired, a stop plate 22 may be connected to one of the plates, and in the present instance the stop plate 22 is secured to the drive plate 15 by means of a pin and slot connection 23-23, so as to permit slight adjustment. Lugs 242i on the stop plate may serve as abutments for the plate 16., to limit swing thereof, as will be clear from Fig. 3. In Fig. 3 the governor links are shown in the extreme outward positions and the plate 16 against the lugs QQ- M, where as, in Fig. l, the links are shown as abutting against the ends of stop plate 22., to limit the inward movement of the links. By this means the degree to which the spark may be automatically advanced may be adjustably controlled or limited.

It will be seen that the plates 15 and 16 and the toggles form what might he described as a pantograph mechanism. ln the form shown the only connection between the shafts 8 and 11 preventing longitudinal separation thereof is the governor mechanism just described. The two shafts are, of course, capable of slight relative rotation, the amount of which is dependent upon the proportions of theparts and the location of the stop plate and hugs The operation of the device is as follows:

Upon a starting up of the engine the drive shaft 8 will be rotated and, through the medium of the governor mechanism, the

governed shaft 11 will likewise be rotated. During this rotation the governor links 17-17 will be thrown outwardly by centrifugal force, and in moving outwardly the governor plate 16 is rotated relatively to the plate 15, and consequently the shafts 8 and 11 are relatively rotated to a slight extent. This relative rotation of the shaft 11 carrying the cam 12 effects the so-callcd advance of the spark, that is, when the governed shaft 11 is advanced relatively to the main drive shaft 8, the movable contact member 13 will be actuated sooner. Upon agreater speeding up of the engine, and consequently of the shaft 8, the governed shaft 11, through the medium of the centrifugal governor mechanism, will be further advanced and the spark will consequently be further advanced.

lln addition to the centrifugal governing just described, the timing may be independently controlled or governed manually, as

neaaooa by rotating the plate carrying the fixed and movable contacts. By the double or semiautomatic control it is possible to time the spark so as to give the best results under various operating conditions.

l/Vhile we have described the preferred form of the invention in great detail, we do not wish to be limited to the form shown and described, since many changes may be made Within the scope of the appended claims.

lVe claim:

1. in a device of the character described, a main driven shaft, a cam shaft concentric with said main driven shaft, a drive plate carried by said main driven shaft, a governor plate carried by said. cam shaft, toggle links connecting said drive plate and governor plate, and a spring connecting said plates and tending to spread said toggle links, and adjustable means for limiting the turning movement of the governor plate.

2. In an ignitcr, a housing, a main driven shaft extending into said housing, a drive plate secured to said shaft, a cam shaft concentric with said main driven shaft, a governor plate secured to said cam shaft, a governor link secured to said drive plate, a duplicate governor link secured to said cam plat/e, said governor links being secured to each other at the ends, and a spring for urging apart the ends of said links at the points connected to said plates, and adjustable means for limiting the turning movement of the governor plate.

3. In a device of the character described, a main driven shaft, a drive plate on said shaft, a cam shaft, a governor plate on said cam shaft, a plurality of duplicate links arranged on top of each other secured to said drive plate, a plurality of duplicate links arranged on top of each other and secured to said governor plate, said links being secured to each other at the ends, and a spring for urging apart the ends of said links at the points of attachment to said plates. whereby when the shafts are rotated said governor links at the point of connection to each otherare thrown outwardly and said spring stressed, and adjustable means for limiting the turning movement of the governor plate.

4. In a device of the character described. a main driven shaft having a longitudinal bore therein, a cam shaft in said recess. a

drive plate secured to said main driven shaft, a governor plate secured to said cam shaft, toggle links connecting said two plates whereby when said driven shaft is rotated the toggle links are thrown outwardly and the said two shafts sli htly rotated relatively to each other, and a spring for resisting the relative rotation of said shafts, and adjustable means for limiting the turning movement of the governor plate.

5. In an igniter, a housing, a main driven nsaacoa shaft, a drive plate secured thereto, a cam shaft in said housing, a governor plate secured to said cam shaft, toggle links connecting said two plates whereby when said main driven shaft is rotated the toggle links are thrown outwardly and the two shafts slightly rotated relatively to each other, a spring for resisting the relative movement of said shafts, a breaker cam on said camshaft, and fixed and movable contacts in said housing, said cam being in position to actuate said movable contact upon the rotation of said cam shaft, and adjustable means for limiting the turning movement of the governor plate. 1 I

6. In a device of the character described, a main driven shaft, a drive plate secured thereon, a cam shaft, a governor plate secured thereon, governor links connecting said two plates whereby, upon rotation of said shafts, said links will be thrown outwardly and will rotate said shafts relatively to each other, a'spring forresisting said relative rotation between said shafts, and means for limiting said relative rotation of said shafts, and adjustable means for limit ing the turning movement of the governor plate.

7. In a I a main driven shaft, a drive plate secured thereon, a cam shaft, a governor plate'secured thereon, centrifugal governor mechanism connecting said two plates whereby, upon the rotation of said shafts, said governor meclianismwill be thrown outwardly and said shafts slightly rotated relatively to each other, a spring connecting said plates for resisting relative rotation betweensaid,

shafts, said spring being in such position that when the shafts are at rest the direction of movement of one of said plates at the point of connection to said-spring will be at substantially right angles to said spring, and adjustable means for limiting the turning movement of the governor plate.

8. In a device of the character described, a main driven shaft, a drive plate secured thereon, a cam shaft, a governor plate secured thereon, centrifugal governor mechanism connecting said two plates whereby, upon the rotation of said shafts, said governor mechanism will bethrown outwardly and said shafts slightly rotated relatively to each other, anda spring connecting said plates for resisting relative rotation between said shafts, said spring being in such position when the shafts are at rest that the device of the character described,

points of connection of said spring to said plates and the axis of said shafts lie in a substantially straight line, and when the shafts are relatively rotated a line through the points of connection of said spring to said plates will pass a substantial distance to one side of the axis of said shafts, and adjustable means for limiting the turning movement of the governor plate.

9. In a centrifugal governor for an igni'ter, a pair of shafts, plates secured'to said shafts, toggle mechanism connecting said plates whereby, upon rotation of one of said shafts, the other shaft -will be rotated through the medium of said plates and toggle mechanism, said toggle mechanism constituting a centrifugal governor where by, upon rotation of the shafts, the toggle mechanism will be thrown outwardly and the two shafts slightly rotated relatively to, each other, and a spring for resisting said' slight relative rotation, said'toggle mechanism comprising a plurality of duplicate laminations forming links secured to said two plates, and adjustable means for limiting the turning movement of the governor plate.

10. In a-n'igniter, a main driven shaft, a governor shaft, an operating cam on said governor shaft, toggle link mechanism connecting said shafts and serving to drive said governor shaft from said main driven shaft, said toggle links serving as a centrifugal governor and,.upon rotation of said shafts,

tending to fly outwardly and rotate said shafts relatively to each other, and resilient means for opposing the relative rotation of said shafts, and adjustable means for limitilig the turning movement of the governor p ate.

11. In an igniter, a main driven shaft, a drive plate on said shaft, a cam shaft, a governor plate on said cam siaft, a pair of governor inks secured to one of said plates on the upper'and lowersides thereof, a governor link secured to the other plate and to said pair of links, said governor links constituting a centrifugal governor for rotating said two 'shafts relatively to each other upon a bodily rotation of said two shafts, and resilient means for resisting said relative rotation of said two shafts, and adjustable means for limiting the turning movement of the governor plate.

' rmnonn ro'rrnn nouns.

amass nannv nanrnoronnw.

tea

are 

